John Veale & Benjamin Britten: Violin Concertos

‘It is a fine piece, at times not far from Walton in manner, and Lydia Mordkovitch obviously enjoys its resourceful writing for her instrument.’ --Gramophone Magazine

'Anyone interested in English music of the past century must get to know the phenomenal Violin Concerto by the almost-but-not-yet-forgotten- John Veale. Go for it.' --Fanfare

‘We’ve long needed a good modern recording of Britten’s Violin Concerto and here it is at last.’ Best available version --Britten BBC Music Magazine

Here’s a real discovery. British composer John Veale (b. 1922) enjoyed a successful career as a composer of concert and film music broadly in the tradition of William Walton and other basically tonal but thoroughly modern colleagues. Then he all but gave up composing as a result of the English serial mafia’s take over of the BBC in the 1960s (which essentially curtailed or even ended the careers of composers who did not tow the party line). It has been our loss, but like his colleagues George Lloyd and Berthold Goldschmidt, Veale now has found a reason to go on composing, and if this concerto offers any indication, continued interest in his music will be well worth the trouble.
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Weber: Overtures

Although celebrated as the father of German Romantic opera, Carl Maria von Weber is today generally known for one opera alone: Der Freischütz. Most of his other works for the stage – including the incidental music for several plays – are nowadays rarely performed. But their overtures have survived the test of time and are popular fillers at orchestral concerts, imbued as they are with Weber's particular mix of Romantic drama and lyricism and Classical lightness of touch.

Striking is also the inimitable, colourful instrumentation, which is given free reins in these scores for librettos and plays that are set in China and Arabia, and among Spanish gypsies and knights in 12th-century France. The present disc includes ten of these gems, from the overture to Weber’s first surviving opera Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn – composed at the age of fifteen – to that of Oberon, written in London for Covent Garden less than two months before his death from tuberculosis, aged 39.

The team of Jean-Jacques Kantorow and the Tapiola Sinfonietta have recorded numerous discs for BIS, by composers as diverse as Saint-Saëns, Mozart, Shostakovich and Rautavaara. Acclaimed releases have also been dedicated to the music of Weber, most recently his symphonies on a disc which was described as ‘without doubt among the finest additions to the Weber discography in recent years’ by the reviewer of the German magazine Fono Forum. His French colleague in Diapason was equally enthusiastic, remarking upon the dramatic qualities of the recording: ‘Kantorow stages a theatre of sounds in which each instrument is an actor…’

Azerbaijani Piano Concertos

All of the composers here combine elements of ancient Azerbaijani tradition with Western forms, colourful orchestration and vivid musical storytelling. This is epitomized in Vasif Adigezalov’s symphonically proportioned Fourth Piano Concerto, while Fikret Amirov adds a touch of Arabian exoticism into his Concerto. The bubbling energy of Tofig Guliyev’s ‘Gaytagi’ dance adds a splash of jazz, and Farhad Badalbeyli’s works depict The Sea in an expansive and atmospheric score, followed by the sad tale of the city of Shusha expressed in a vocalise.

…it is a crazy quilt, but it is a lot of fun. In addition to [the] very tasty…main courses, Naxos gives us not one, not two, but three desserts.

A really first-class orchestra helps to put these scores across, and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky…is a sympathetic and energetic leader. The pianists, both of them native Azerbaijanis, are very much up to their respective tasks, playing with sparkle and with an obvious affinity for the folk idioms. In Shusha , soprano Joan Rodgers is most soulful. Excellent engineering is another point in this disc’s favor.

This might not be the most important CD I’ve reviewed in 2011, but it is one of the most enjoyable, even adorable. As such, it is highly recommended! --2012 Fanfare, 2012

Bach: Concertos for Several Instruments, Vol. 1

The ensemble Café Zimmermann takes its name from Gottfried Zimmermann's famed Leipzig coffee house, which became home to Telemann's Collegium Musicum in 1723 (the ensemble Bach was to become musical director of in 1729). The group's aim apparently is to offer performances that restore the more congenial public aspect of concert-going as Bach and his contemporaries likely would have experienced it in an atmosphere such as Zimmermann's establishment. 

Though well intentioned as this effort may be, given what is known about the often spotty level of musicianship available to Bach, it's highly unlikely that he ever heard performances of these gems so technically accomplished and strategically conceived as these.

The ensemble's performances are remarkably tight, typically adopting widely contrasting tempos from movement to movement, informed by precise rhythmic structures and dynamic schemes. This polished virtuosity diminishes the sense of spontaneity characteristic of a public performance, though the outcome is certainly worth the trade-off. Harpsichordist Celine Frisch's abundant use of ornamentation throughout BWV 1052 and her carefully considered restraint during the Affettuoso of BWV 1050 are simply thrilling. Likewise, the clever, selectively applied accents with which violin soloist David Plantier garnishes his reading of BWV 1042 are unique, to say the least. Indeed, instead of taking us back in time as initially intended, Café Zimmermann's performances can only be described as forward-looking, testifying to the continued endurance of Bach's genius. If the current state of Bach performance practice interests you at all, waste not another moment in acquiring this outstanding CD. Very highly recommended. --John Greene, ClassicsToday.com

Grieg: Peer Gynt, Piano Concerto

Grieg's music, while based in the German tradition, magically captures the spirit and grandeur of this native Norway. Peer Gyntincludes two perennial favourites, "Morning Mood", which conjures images of the sun rising over fjords, and the frenetic, "In the Hall of the Mountain King". His popular Piano Concerto is a perfect blend of drama and lyricism.

Tchaikovsky: Complete Orchestral Suites

The complete 4 Orchestral Suites of Tchaikovsky on 2 CD’s. Tchaikovsky’s Suites are his most “western” works, his imagination and creativity set free from the restrictions of formal genres (symphonies, sonatas). They contain delightful music, with hints of ballet music and inspirations from other composers (the 4th suite Mozartiana is based on themes by Mozart). Performed with wit, charm, transparency and gusto by Sir Neville Marriner and the Stuttgart RSO. Born in the small town of Votkinsk in 1840, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky achieved considerable renown during his own lifetime and is today hailed as one of the world’s best-loved composers.

Having initially studied law before enrolling at the St Petersburg Conservatory aged 22, he is best remembered for his symphonies, operas and ballets; ranking among his lesser-known creations, however, are the Four Orchestral Suites, to which this excellent two-disc set is dedicated. The works are best viewed as an outlet for unrestricted musical fantasy, and indeed Tchaikovsky wrote to his patron Nadezhda von Meck that he valued the genre of the orchestral suite precisely because of the ‘freedom … it leaves the composer not to be bound by all sorts of traditions.’ Composed in 1878–9 and 1883 respectively, Nos. 1 and 2 descend from the Baroque model, with Tchaikovsky paying homage to Bach and Telemann through the use of such idiomatic devices as the fugue – as heard in the opening movement of the First Orchestral Suite. Whereas the Second is distinguished for its careful attention to texture (including the addition of four accordions), the Third (1884) is particularly lauded for its Theme and Variations finale – a movement that was often performed on its own, such was its universal popularity. Taking the form of a musical tribute to the composer Tchaikovsky most admired is the ‘Mozartiana’ Suite, written in 1887.

A work that faithfully adapts some of the Austrian’s best-known compositions, it presents a charming conclusion to an engaging cycle which – brimming with all the hallmarks of the Russian’s style – is performed with authority under the expert baton of Sir Neville Marriner. All in all, this compilation is a must-buy for anyone wishing to delve deeper into the rich world of 19th-century orchestral music.

Chopin & Rachmaninov

 "Hélène Grimaud is a formidably talented artist with strong, sometimes willful interpretive ideas . . . Grimaud's interpretation, then, is unusually personal, not just in its details but even in its vision of the work as a whole, and it's very powerful -- like the Chopin quite high-strung and very dramatic. Certainly she pegs the climaxes in the outer movements and offers a central lento whose rhapsodic freedom of phrasing never compromises the music's basic songfulness. She captures the finale's mercurial, emotional ambivalence about as well as anyone ever has . . . I can only applaud Grimaud's thoughtfulness, risk-taking, and obvious command of both the keyboard and the musical text." --ClassicsToday.com, March 2005

 "Yet the connections between the two sonatas are obvious. apart from sharing a common central tonality, both inhabit similarly turbulent emotional worlds offering in the process considerable challenges for the interpreter especially in terms of maintaining structural coherence . . . Hélène Grimaud rises to these challenges admirably. Like Argerich, she is a charismatic performer, responding instinctively to the ebb and flow of Chopin's writing. In this respect, although everything seems perfectly controlled, there's also an almost spontaneous sense of forward momentum which one would normally experience in a live concert . . . the expansions seem entirely plausible, serving in fact to strengthen the logical flow of the music. The performance and recording, too, are highly persuasive . . ." --BBC Music Magazine, April 2005

"Over the years, former "Wunderkind" Hélène Grimaud has turned into one of our most accomplished pianists. She has also become one of our most challenging, and those seeking an introduction to her art at its most individual and provocative could hardly do better than this new recital. The back of the jewel box promises a program that "encapsulates the very soul of the Romantic piano" . . . it also promises "uncompromising emotion" . . . there's plenty of intimacy . . . no easy listening here -- but plenty of intellectual and spiritual rewards . . . you'll be treated to plenty of virtuoso thrill: the finale of the Rachmaninov . . . is crushing in its accumulated power." --Fanfare, September 2005

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4

“Tognetti and the admirable Australian Chamber Orchestra aim at a synthesis between 'authentic' and modern performance styles of Mozart...above all, these are interpretations which take their point of departure from the music itself, more than from theories of what it might - or might not - have sounded like in Mozart's day.” --BBC Music Magazine, October 2011 *****

 

“Tognetti is named as "lead violin". But the intelligent, recreative exchange he inspires suggests a musician conducting from his instrument. There are no perfunctory notes or turns of phrase. Modulations are acknowledged by mutations in tone colour and dynamics, and bar-lines all but disappear in the wake of tractable tempi.” --Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011

“The ensemble’s precision and energy make the three on this recording sound more like beefed-up string quartets, with all traces of gentility stripped away. An exhilarating disc.” --The Telegraph, 7th July 2011 *****

“[Tognetti] emphasises in his booklet note that his purely musical responses were governed not by dogma but sheer intuitiveness. The results combine the best of both worlds, benefitting from the lighter touch and airier textures of authenticism, yet expressed with an emotional warmth and spontaniety...it is difficult to imagine a more beguiling set of performances.” --Classic FM Magazine, September 2011 ****

Mendelssohn: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2

“Warm, sweet tone, and generally close regard for Mendelssohn's markings infuse both works with life and feeling. Only an unduly slow tempo for the Andante of Op. 12 verges dangerously on the sentimental.” --BBC Music Magazine, October 2009 ****

This recording by the splendid Gabrieli String Quartet makes a welcome return to the catalogue, and now at ‘Classics’ price. There is little competition for this programme.

The well-known British string quartet was founded in 1967 by Kenneth Sillito, who led the ensemble for some twenty years before passing the responsibility to John Georgiadis, at which point the Quartet entered into an exclusive contract with Chandos and made a number of fine recordings. It toured widely abroad and in the UK and was noted for its well-balanced performances. ‘I know this is a disc to be enjoyed again and again. The sound is simply flawless’, wrote the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Mendelssohn wrote his first two string quartets before his twenty-first birthday and they are typical of the mastery with which Mendelssohn approached the romantic style prevailing in the early nineteenth century.

Italia

“a lively celebration of Benedetti's Italian roots, shot through with some laser-sharp pyrotechnics, and brave work-in-progress as she squares up to period style with a modern instrument...Benedetti's 'Baroque' occasionally sounds like 'Kreisler with attitude'; the accent may not be pitch-perfect, but for sheer flair: Viva Italia!” --BBC Music Magazine, Octuber 2011 ****

“With a Baroque-type bow, using very little vibrato (but with modern strings), she produces a sound that, for the most part, is cool and clear but by no means inexpressive. The SCO match her elegant phrasing and provide an accompaniment that's alert, spirited and sensitive. It conveys a brightly polished image of the music, most enjoyable, and bringing a virtuoso aspect to the fore.” --Gramophone Magazine, Octuber 2011

“This is the best recording of Vivaldi's 'Summer' I've heard...at precisely 2.19 Benedetti performs a trill in which she only partially depresses the string, allowing a rainbow of stratospheric harmonics to colour the trill...Great recordings are made of tiny moments of unexpected brilliance like this” -- Classic FM, 2010 edition *****

Haydn: Piano Works

“Keyboard dexterity can naturally be taken as a given from a pianist who excels in the Russian Romantics; but let us not forget that Sudbin opened his account on records with...Scarlatti and he locates in Haydn's piano music the same mercurial shifts of mood and colour...Sudbin is always a compelling presence” --Gramophone Magazine, August 2010

“...the liberties rarely sound wilful, almost always revealing alternative insights, whilst Sudbin's handling of his potential heavy modern Steinway D grand is a delectable display of crispness, lightness, luminosity and affectionate songfulness...there is never a dull moment on this disc.” --BBC Music Magazine, September 2010 ****

After the great success of his recordings of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Medtner Piano Concertos, Yevgeny Sudbin now presents a disc of solo works by Haydn. As Sudbin writes in his liner notes, one of the qualities in this composer which he finds particularly endearing is Haydn’s ‘delight in silliness, outrageous wit and the breaking of all conventions’. The works chosen for this recital are by no means mere light-weight ‘musical jokes’, however; for instance they include the profoundly beautiful Andante con variazioni in F minor, which some have suggested was written in response to the death of Mozart In an affectionate tribute to the composer, Sudbin ends his recital with Larking with Haydn, his own tongue-in-cheek arrangement of the Finale of the Lark Quartet.

The release in 2005 of Yevgeny Sudbin’s first disc, a selection of Scarlatti sonatas, caused a sensation. A number of reviewers compared it favourably to the legendary recordings by Horowitz in the same repertoire, and on the BBC Radio 3 CD Review, the result was described as follows: ‘It's as if he's dragged Scarlatti off a dusty museum shelf and brought him out into the sunshine where both he and the music are happily basking.’ 

Petits-fours: Favourite Encores

“...where most such collections offer a mixed bag for you to select at will, this one offers a satisfying sequence when played end to end... Cunningly, the sequence ends with one of the gentlest numbers, Debussy’s song ‘Beau soir’. Cassidy is again responsible for most of the arrangements in the sequence. What is so striking about the playing of the Brodsky Quartet throughout is their brimming love for the music, with some ravishing shading down to the most hushed pianissimos. All this is caught in wonderfully rich and transparent sound, a credit to the Chandos engineers.” --Gramophone magazine, June 2012

“What better way for the Brodsky Quartet to celebrate its 40th birthday than with a sumptuously engineered recital of champagne encores skilfully arranged by the quartet’s viola player, Paul Cassidy and former leader Andrew Haveron? Acclaimed for their probing musicianship, the Brodsky Quartet blow the musical cobwebs off some of the most cherishable miniatures in the repertoire ... Here’s to the next 40 years.” --BBC Music magazine, April 2012 - Performance *****      Recording *****

"...what fabulous arrangements these are! All four players share the limelight- melodies and virtuosic turns are equally parceled out. And they’re also audible, that to the warm, resonant, clear and (above all) balanced engineering. What a tribute this album serves to this group, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year... The Brodsky’s timbre on this album is superbly polished... what is especially remarkable here is their breadth of styles... This is the perfect album for background music to brighten your day or dinner party." --American Record Guide, July/August 2012

American Classics: Music for Clarinet

Here are a young Israeli clarinetist, an English orchestra, and what sounds like a German conductor (the booklet gives no information about the performers) playing American jazz as if to the manner born. Sharon Kam has proved in concert performances of classical music that she is a virtuoso with a strong musical personality. Here, she proves that, in addition to having complete mastery of her instrument and all its resources, she also has an uncanny ability to identify with the styles and idioms of her adopted country. 

Only in Gershwin's "Summertime" do the jazzy inflections and liberties sound artificial; otherwise, she produces just the right kind of vibrato, sliding, rhythmic flexibility, and expression. Her tone is full of variety and beautiful over a huge range; even at the top--and she goes up to a high B-flat--it does not sound shrill; her facility and security are fabulous. Copland's Concerto, written for Benny Goodman, is very tonal, chordal, and simple, though the second part is brilliant and rather dissonant. 

In the first of Bernstein's three pieces, the solo melts into the band; the others are perhaps the wildest, most raucous music on the program. Morton Gould's "Derivations" come as a relief: mild, pleasant, and singing, they let the soloist engage in conversation with members of the band, and finally become more driving. Artie Shaw clearly wrote his Concerto for himself, and Kam plays it to the hilt for technical and tonal virtuosity. The arrangements of Gershwin's famous songs demonstrate the vocal quality of the clarinet. The orchestra, from which the various band combinations are extracted, matches Kam's style admirably. --Edith Eisler

Bach vs Bach Transcribed

". . . an intriguing mix of solo Bach . . . Grimaud is a vigorous, sometimes aggressive Bach player who understands and internalises the kind of rhythmic drive that made Glenn Gould tick . . . She spins gorgeously contoured cantabiles in the A minor and E major Book 2 Preludes . . . the C sharp minor Book 1 Prelude and Fugue radiates nuance, linear dimension and a captivating organic flow that evokes Edwin Fischer and Samuel Feinberg at their most sublime . . . While Grimaud imbues Busoni's violin transcription with freewheeling momentum and organ-like sustaining power and resonance, she scales down Liszt's organ transcription to more intimate, less gothic tonal dimensions, and quite convincingly so at that." --Gramophone, February 2009

Once again, charismatic Hélène Grimaud presents an album with an individual concept. Bach vs. Bach Transcribed brings together original keyboard works by the master with works by Bach arranged (transcribed) for the piano by pianist-composers of later generations: Busoni, Liszt, Rachmaninov. This is the first time that Hélène Grimaud has recorded Bach – a challenge for any musician. The repertoire includes the famous Well-Tempered Clavier II and the Concerto no. 1 in D minor, the latter performed with Grimaud’s regular collaborators, the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Bach “Transcribed” features the Bach/Busoni version of the Chaconne in D minor, the Violin Partita in E major arranged for piano by Rachmaninov, and Liszt’s version of the Prelude and Fugue in A minor

A landmark project in Grimaud’s successful career

Handel: Trio Sonatas Opp. 2 & 5

“…Baroque chamber-playing of the very highest order: sincerely conversational, emotive and finely nuanced.” --Gramophone Magazine, March 2010

Gramophone Awards 2010
Finalist - Baroque Instrumental

 Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music conclude their award-winning Handel cycle with this dazzling traversal of the Trio Sonatas of opus two and opus five.These works, less frequently heard than much of Handel's output, are brilliantly crafted, exciting, and (above all) fun pieces of chamber music. The Italianate singing style of the melodic writing is both virtuosic and sonorous. Handel took Corelli's 'sonata da chiesa' model and with consummate ease, created sparklingly diverse and richly colourful works that are clearly stamped with his own unique stylistic signature. 

As a conductor, Richard Egarr has presented a wide range of repertoire - from Baroque opera and oratorio to works by 20th - century composers. He is Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music, with whom he has recorded Bach Harpsichord Concertos and Brandenburg Concertos.Together they are currently releasing a series of Handel's Opp.1-7, of which the Solo Sonatas Op.1, the Concerti Grossi Op.3 and Organ Concertos Op.4 are already available.

Passionate Baroque Arias

In 18th-century Italian opera the solo aria -- a form of musical expression held in high favour by Humanist culture (owing to its close link with the word) -- was the main, indeed almost the exclusive, vehicle for expressing the characters' feelings and emotions. And the presentation of different expressive situations is surely one of the most characteristic features of Italian opera. Unlike its French counterpart, Italian opera showed little interest in any kind of realistic representation of the plot. Instead it focused on the music. 

Or more specifically, it concentrated on the capacity of the human voice to arouse emotions, of which love is naturally one of the most frequently encountered. As a result, the diverse facets of love (right down to its idealization or to its sacrifice for reasons of state) form the standard fare of opera plots.

It is something of a commonplace to consider 18th-century opera as little more than a battleground for the display of virtuoso singers. But it would be truer to say that the singers became the unchallenged masters of the opera stage precisely because their superb technique and vocal skills made it possible to highlight the emotions and give musical life to the 'affects'; in other words, to the different states of mind of the various characters. It is no coincidence that the very etymology of the term 'aria' (from the Latin aer) is linked to the concept of a musical 'mode', in the sense of a 'manner of singing'.

Uccellini: Sonatas

If at first you have a hard time finding a historical context for this enchanting, lively, often complex, but always easily listenable music--just keep listening. Violinist Andrew Manze, for whom no challenge seems too daunting, and whose matchless technique enlivens and enriches everything it touches, is the perfect messenger/interpreter for this fascinating selection of sonatas written by an obscure yet strikingly innovative 17th century Italian violinist. 

In this case the performer bears even more than the usual responsibility, for practically nothing is known about how to perform Uccellini's music. No autograph manuscripts or personal accounts of performances survive, and the printed copies of scores that do exist are primitive publications whose typographical reliability is difficult to fully determine. Confusing performance directions add to the problem. That doesn't stop Manze or his very able colleagues from delivering first rate renditions of music that demands the utmost flexibility and imagination. 

Weird chromaticism, sudden key changes, and shifts of tempo combine with lyrical melodies and improvisatory passages to make for one of the more exciting and unusual programs of Baroque music anywhere. --David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Music of Alan Hovhaness

As much as I tend to cordially despise any sort of "mood-altering" music, I'll make an exception for this hypnotic collection of works for harp by Alan Hovhaness. The prolific composer -- he wrote 67 symphonies prior to his death in June 2000 -- was also a passionate naturalist, as may be gathered from the ethereal "Spirit of Trees," a sonata for harp and guitar here receiving its world premiere recording. The lovely American harpist Yolanda Kondonassis plays with abundant intelligence and refinement, 

both in the sonata and in its companion pieces: the Concerto for Harp and String Orchestra, the solo Harp Sonata, "Upon Enchanted Ground" -- scored for flute, cello, harp, and giant tam-tam -- and the enchanting "Garden of Adonis," in which Kondonassis is joined by flutist Eugenia Zukerman. Although this is not necessarily or exclusively music for tree-huggers, they will no doubt be delighted by the album's insistence that "A portion of the proceeds of this recording will benefit the worldwide effort to conserve the earth's natural rainforests." No mention is made, alas, of any plans for the "unnatural" ones.

20th Century Clarinet Concerto

"Dranch performs [the Wolff] beautifully with an ease and effortless quality that matches the style of the work exquisitely. The string ensemble is clear, clean and crisp throughout. Dranch's sound is amazingly dark and without edge even in the altissimo. Dranch's perfect intonation and control in the slow sections [in the Bavicchi] is notable and the performance by soloist and orchestra alike is admirable...[Hindemith's Concerto] is a welcome conclusion to this CD...Dranch is highly musical throughout...He seems keenly aware of the neoclassical influence, and injects them in his interpretation. 

  

Dranch is precise and reserved...The orchestra is immaculately clean throughout this work. I recommend this recording as a worthy addition to the contemporary clarinetist's audio library....there is something for everyone here, and then some. Gary Dranch is supremely adept at handling the technical and musical challenges that arise in these works." --The Clarinet, March 2007

"Daniel Wolf...has written a light and folksy concerto of much charm..."  --American Record Guide - May / June 2007

"...well-played...the Ulbra Chamber Orchestra and Buenos Aires Philharmonic play proficiently" --Turok's Choice - April 2007

Moszkowski & Karlowicz: Violin Concertos

'Tasmin Little displays an invitingly warm, slender tone and broad dynamic range, very much in keeping with the style of this music. Her intonation and bowing are impeccable: the considerable difficulties of Moszkowski's finale hold no terrors for her' --Fanfare, USA

'Tasmin Little's idiomatic advocacy of all three works belies the fact that none could be described as standard repertoire ... Handsomely produced and well recorded, this issue makes three very welcome additions to the repertoire' --BBC Music Magazine

'Tasmin Little's flamboyant performance of this breathtaking display piece should be counted a jewel in her already distinguished discography' --International Record Review

'One of my discs of the year' --Classic FM Magazine

'this disc is yet another jewel in Hyperion's star-studded crown … Enjoyable from start to finish - a disc well worth having' --The Strad

'This disc is the most impressive installment in Hyperion's Romantic Concerto Series; superb and most beautifully recorded and played' --musicweb

Mozart, Crusell & J.C. Bach: Music for Oboe and Strings

Max Artved is clearly the star of this program, and his warm and fluid oboe tone is most pleasing. His control of the instrument, flawless intonation and finely shaped phrasing is a delight for the ear. Lest I seem dismissive of his colleagues, I would hasten to add that this is an ensemble of first-rate professionals. It is not clear if these musicians play together regularly, but they do all have membership in various Danish orchestras in common. The Danes must be the proud home of some excellent conservatories, if the refined playing of this group is any indication.

This recital is one of those double plusses, which allow for careful and involved listening if desired, and some splendid ambient music if the occasion calls for such. The music itself is tuneful and energetic, elegant and engaging, and should be appealing to all but the most curmudgeonly of listeners. Similar enough in style to flow together without too much of a jar, there is plenty of subtle drama to keep your ears attuned as well.

This is a most pleasant and recommendable disc, one that would find pride of place in any library. Superb sound quality, and Keith Anderson’s typically fine program notes are the icing that secures this recital a firm spot in the winner’s column." --Kevin Sutton, MusicWeb International, January 2005

Requiems by Fauré and Duruflé

Musical settings of the Mass for the Dead have a tendency to dwell on the dramatic high points of the day of judgement and the trumpets of doom (Dies irae and Tuba mirum) – partly for the reason that they really are dramatic high points. With their respective Requiems, Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Duruflé wanted to express something different, something which Fauré himself described as a ‘trust in eternal rest’. 

Indeed, when hearing the description of his work as ‘a lullaby of death’, Fauré approved of it. It is the eternal light and peace wished for in the Mass that both composers infused their Requiems with (to the point of actually omitting the more doomladen passages).

These qualities are certainly part of the palette of the magnificent Swedish Radio Choir – the favourite vocal instrument of many of the world’s greatest conductors, including Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti.

The choir’s previous disc on BIS (BIS-CD-1157) consisted of works by Schnittke and Pärt in performances described as being ‘of commanding, awesome brilliance…with a virtuosity and commitment that are astounding’ (Int. Record Review) and ‘refulgently passionate’ (BBC Music Magazine).

On this disc, the choir, directed by Fredrik Malmberg, is joined by three of Sweden’s foremost singers – all of them represented on previous BIS recordings – as well as organist Mattias Wager, who has also supplied the organ arrangement of Faurés orchestral score.

Blessing

'For more than a decade, Catrin Finch has been impressing audiences all over the world with her performances.' --Interview / Karen Price, Western Mail, November 2012

For her second Deutsche Grammophon album, former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch plays music by the beloved British composer, John Rutter, as well as new pieces and arrangements of her own.

It includes new works by John Rutter, and the World Premiere recording of his Suite Lyrique for harp and strings. Further highlights include arrangements of traditional Welsh folksongs, where Catrin Finch is joined by star award-winning Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas.

John Rutter is probably the world's most-performed choral composer, with decades of best selling compositions and arrangements to his name - including an anthem specially commissioned for the royal wedding by Prince William and Kate Middleton, and some of the most loved Christmas carols of modern times.

W.F. Bach: Harpsichord Concertos

It must have been daunting for J.S Bach’s musical sons to work with his huge shadow. The fact that four of his children succeeded in becoming important and influential composers is both remarkable and proof of how extraordinary these men were. C.P.E and J.C Bach are perhaps the most famous of them, and of the other two, J.C.F and W.F, it is Wilhelm Friedemann (1710-84) who perhaps came closest to his father as a composer. His compositions display the same structural density, and in particular the concerto in E flat for 2 harpsichords where many of his father’s influences can be detected, together with W.F’s use of strange dissonances and harmonic shifts.

Although he resisted the avant-garde styles of his brothers, his compositions can be appreciated as a continuation of his father’s legacy – something his brothers spent their lives fighting, whereas W.F appeared comfortable developing J.S’s methods and his own rich harmonic palette and strong melodic style. W.F’s personality was his own worst enemy. He was aloof, and unable to appreciate the views of others. He was also a terrible custodian of his father’s manuscripts – many vanished under his stewardship, and in his final years he was reduced to living in poverty and passing off some of his compositions as those of his father, leaving his wife and daughter in destitute. He was a highly gifted composer and a deeply flawed man.

Vivaldi: Concerti e Sinfonia per Archi

"There is common ground in many of these "concerti per archi", gut they contain a dazzling kaleidoscope of moods and textures. Andrea Marcon directs vivid, strongly etched performances that often reach fiery intensity. Things get off to a sizzling start with the precocious beginning of RV111a, and the opening Allegro of RV157 is a perfect illustration of Marcon's fondness for wonderfully incisive yet flowing continuo. 

But there are also notable moments of exquisite beauty, such as a gorgeously played Largo from RV127. The Adagio in RV121 is an evocative hushed moment graced with lovely theorbo playing. It is easy to notice the athleticism of the Venice Baroque Orchestra's vigorous playing of fast movements, yet it is equally significant that the group perform Vivaldi's slower music with tenderness . . . these are glory days for Vivaldi's music." Gramophone Awards Issue, November 2006

". . . the spotlight is completely on the orchestra, which is lithe, colourful, virtuosic, hits the ground running . . . the enjoyment emanating from the players is palpable . . ." --BBC Music Magazine, September 2006

Virtuoso Double Bass

The double bass, largest of the standard string instruments, may surprise you with its expressiveness! This fascinating and highly enjoyable disc of rarities was recorded with one of the world's greatest bass players, Gary Karr.

Karr considers this to be one of his most important recordings primarily for the Josephs Concerto which is one of the truly great works for doublebass with orchestra. Karr also pays homage on this CD to his teacher, Stuart Sankey, by performing his Carmen Fantasy. With the addition of the Grieg Concerto, this is a very listenable recording.